Pendragon's Coffee
by Relie Diadamat
Summary: Merlin, played 20 years old, finds himself forced to work alongside his inseparable Prat, at the bar opened by the latter. With them there is Freya, the sweet and naïve Merlin's girlfriend, that Arthur hates. Everything changes one day when the young Pendragon reveals to his colleagues a program change... [Modern!AU] [Multicouples Love Triangles] [Mostly Mergana/Merthur]
1. Chapter 1: Sometimes they come back

**Nda: Hi!**

 **You should know that I'm a Italian girl... and I'm not very good with English but... I try! (With Internet :P)**

 **I wrote this story one years ago (and I'm still continuing writing. LOL).**

 **Translate the ff will be very hard - I know, I know - but I try.**  
 **I hope you enjoy the prologue!**  
 **Good, I hope, reading! :)**

 **I. Sometimes they come back**

May.

The city had awakened like the naive solus' tender passions wake up.

Spring.

The birds are singing in the sweetest way, the morning breeze lets you pose in the face with sweetness...

Yeah, Spring's the season of sweet.

An alarm clock kept tweeting, by at least a quarter of an hour, in that modest London apartment.

Black hairs were pancaked against a pillow, folded to compress two big ears, in an obvious attempt to not hear more alarm.

When that stupid electronic gadget rang out for the umpteenth time, he decided to pull it off. She sat up on the bed, pulling a long sigh.

His blue eyes, still spleepy, tried to focus the room in the morning twilight. It all seemed so peaceful, so relaxing...

 _"It's time to get up, it's seven and thirty-two minutes. It's time to get up."_ the second alarm, positioned on the dresser next to the mirror – or on the other side of the room – began tweeting annoyingly.

Merlin fell back exhausted upon his bed, feeling constantly that litany in his ears, without finding the strength to stand up, be a man – as had always said his mother – and go to turn that damn alarm clock.

It was useless to get up, 'cause if he had not turned up voluntarily...

"Just lounging around!"

Merlin felt himself slide the pillow from the nape, making fall uncomfortably on the mattress – so inviting ...

"Arthur kill us if we appear in time, and you know I don't joke!"

The young man turned back into his bed, covering with blankets of fine linen neck. «Let him kill me after five minutes... »

The voice had an inflection of tenderness: "Come on, get out of bed!"

Merlin, cornered, albeit reluctantly, decided to get up and be active in society.

"Since when did you become so lazy?" she teased, looking at him fingerart.

The boy blinked a little look smug, pulling her slightly to himself. "Since you made me lose sleep."

He would kiss her if his girlfriend didn't threw a pillow over his face, and then move away. "Wear the clothes!" She giggled.

"I start to go, I have to buy the newspaper to Mr. Gaius." she said, taking his copy of keys before print to him a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll see you later, love. '

Merlin came to suffice that kiss blown to the lips, then smile politely. "Freya..." recalled guy, immobilizing the girl instantly.

"Don't you forget something?" remarked, pointing with the forgotten bag in a corner of the house.

" _Oh, dear_. Where's my head? "she ran to pick on, leaning the bag on his left shoulder, then throw a kiss on the fly to her boyfriend: "Bye, honey!"

The door closed, leaving the young man, completely alone. "Bye" blew, before his personal mobile phone vibrated.

He wrinkled his brow, completely unrelated to who would ever look for it at that time – if not Arthur – and a mini heart attack just reading the name _MORGANA_. Let it ring, keeps this in his hands.

That name remained fixed on the screen, almost like a tattoo printed on the skin.

A twinge in his stomach was heard; all the good mood had tragically poured into cosmic sadness. The five rings, the girl hung up.

He dressed like a robot.

That call he wanted to forget, as soon as possible.

He took the knife from the sink, forgetting that it did not even smeared shaving cream.

 _Morgana._

In his mind he hovered just that name. Those five rings.

What did she want from him now? What did after those damned two years of silence?

 _She is like that_ , he became convinced. _Returns only when it is convenient, by which time the worst part is already over. You know what's Morgana? Life goes on and my now it's all downhill!_

He injured the skin, realizing only then the lack of attention for the shaving cream "Shit!" He swore, remembering to be _dangerously_ late for work.

Sure, it would be ridiculous to go out into that state of the house, but it was definitely worse to put up with a lecture by Prat.

He managed to dress in less than ten minutes, maybe using some magic trick, since it also reputasse humanly impossible.

Hurriedly he took his copy of keys and left the apartment ... forgetting his cell phone on the dresser in the kitchen.

In the meantime he had begun to ring.

A name in large letters appeared again, replacing the Merlin photos and Freya, smiling embraced.

ARTHUR CALL

"Don't say a word ..."

Arthur anticipates him, seeing him arrive at full speed in the bar. "Thirty-seven minutes late, what have you to say for yourself?"

The raven-estimated what was the excuse most suitable for use, but not to him were the best: "Saturday were forty-five?" He ventured.

The other glared with an intimidating look. "Shut up, Merlin!"

Arthur Pendragon, his best ... ummm, no, not even Merlin knew exactly what it was for him. It was definitely a bit of everything.

She was the only person he felt he had a sense of belonging. It was something unusual that does not happen every day.

The fact was that this guy had decided to open a bar with its own forces, just to show his father that he was able to go it alone. Alone, and with the help of Merlin and Freya.

Since the last relationship, the one with his ex Geneva was over, the young blonde was completely isolated from the field of feelings, finding refuge in his Merlin which, unfortunately - so it seemed to the jet - was engaged.

Merlin had always suspected that, for Arthur, the presence of the Freya was indigestible, but had not made the problem of contemplating the crazy ideas of the twenties played.

Arthur would always come first of all, was an inseparable priorities in his life; if there were a need would also be closed once and for all his report, but for the moment he did not see the need.

That the righteous of his best friend were different from her it was something she would have to accept both, for better or for worse.

However, that doesn't look like a normal day like any other...

"From today there will be a novelty." Announced the Prat- barman, the arrival of Freya.

"What news?" She asked curiously, while receiving a look disparagingly by Arthur.

"We will not be the only ones in the bar." Continued Arthur, slightly tightening the jaw; obviously that was not a choice at all shared by the blond. "My sister Morgana and her boyfriend Mordred will be ours."

The brain of the jet he resets it in a flash.

 _Morgana was engaged. Morgana was returning to London. Morgana was returning with Mordred. Morgana would be all day in the bar, working with him ... and Mordred._

"Something wrong, Merlin?" Freya, concerned about a non-response from her boyfriend, had set out to posargli hand on his shoulder.

The young man shook himself from his thoughts, placing his gaze before the searching eyes of Arthur, then in those dark and cozy with his girlfriend. "No, it's okay".

"He sure?" Persisted the girl. "You turned pale as marble."

Fortunately, Arthur seemed to rush to his aid: "Your boyfriend's always pale as marble, Freya." He corrected, in a tone that was falling ... the nuisance?

Yet Merlin seemed not to care the least of his surroundings.

His mind remained crowded with a thousand thoughts, whose pivot was always just her, Morgana.


	2. Chapter 2: The past come back

**II. The past come back**

There is always, in everyone's life, that moment when one wonders about his past, perhaps through a picture, a song or even through silence.

The fact is that it becomes the biggest question mark or inner examination you will ever face. The only thing you need to understand is if the past still belongs to you, or if, finally, your life has moved on.

" _Mer_ lin, she had asked for a coffee not a water's glass," Arthur warned him, hitting him with a tray behind the head when Merlin had carelessly spilled water instead of coffee in a small cup.

"I-I am sorry," he agreed immediately. "I prepare you suffered another."

His friend Prat, was leaning over the counter, whispering to the girl: "He's usually a little less clumsy than that, you know ... his girlfriend reduces it in this state, poor fellow." Feigned regret.

"I hear you, _Art_ hur!" Trod the last word, trying in vain to imitate him in his calls, failing miserably.

The young Pendragon straightened his back, turning his gaze toward the friend who was fumbling with the coffee machine, an air theatrically pretending upset: "But what was the intent, Merlin!"

The girl with wavy brown hair that fell on her back, laughed their bickering, like they had been almost two sweethearts.

Merlin held out her cup of coffee, shaking his head. "They should teach education at that Prat!"

"Merlin!" Called the other offended. " I hear you!" And before the young man could argue in any way, he added:"And I can fire you!"

While the brunette laughed genuinely amused, Freya approached the counter, handing a slip of paper to her boyfriend. "Two sandwiches and two Coca, love."

Arthur rolled his eyes at hearing that nickname, while Merlin, accustomed took it as his real name. After all that time shared together, the boy had now learned to recognize himself with 'love' name because, apparently, Freya didn't know call him otherwise.

The latter, as she waited for her boyfriend put the whole thing in the tray, turned to Arthur calmly: "When will arrive your sister?" Was interested.

The Merlin hands froze suddenly.

"At times." He said Arthur regretted, getting nervous at the very thought of having to share the bar with his sister.

Freya smiled happily before noticing her boyfriend's momentary stiffness. "Merlin, are you all right?".

Merlin suddenly pointed his gaze to the girl. "At times." Simply he repeated, giving voice to his thoughts. Unforgivably realizing the gaffe, he sought to remedy inventing an excuse in case: "Gaius."

As Freya watched him with serious quizzically at his side Arthur stood with folded arms, watching him with a sneer. "You speak worse than an infant, Merlin."

"I've had bad examples." He said through clenched teeth, while the Prat indignantly began to be angry at the stupid insult, but before he could leave with his slew of threats, Merlin anticipated him, pointing to the two: "Gaius needed me and I completely forgot. "pretended, unfastening his apron.

"You didn't go there If you can't, I can go to him for you." The nice girl offered, but the boy stopped her instantly: "I must do it, I promised. You know how is Gaius, is a very ... capable."

The blond, still firm in his face, continued to observe the succession of scenes, without emitting breath.

"I'm sorry that you will miss the presentations with new colleagues ..." Freya took in his hands the tray with the ordination, pursing his lips do sorry.

"Nothing he does not already know." Merlin replied only with a look and indecipherable stamp, then kiss her on the lips quickly.

"Merlin ..." recalled suddenly the blond with making nervous. "Were not you forgetting something?" He asked, referring to the permission to take leave from work.

Merlin raised his lips into a smile, slightly frowning :"Kiss you doesn't fall precisely in my preferences, Arthur."

"I don't ..." the blond tried to explain, barely holding back his anger, but then with great surprise by the boy stopped. " You go, come on." He said dryly.

Merlin found hard to understand what went on in the Arthur's mind, try as he might at times was really an indecipherable type. He shrugged, leaving the bar.

As the dullness of the boy could make him blind, Freya wasn't as naive as her boyfriend and had caught the blonde's feelings. Freya had understood from day one, from the first veiled insult that the Arthur had kindly served up.

A bit she suffered for that. Freya suffered because she loved Merlin and for that she was jealous. And she wanted to see him only her, but the other side Freya was suffering because she identified herself in Arthur. Merlin was a guy and a great friend, but sometimes he could do wrong, without even realizing it.

She came back with the mind to the present, where waiting for her there was her work. Army by good patience headed to the table, holding the two boys their sandwiches and their Coca.

OooOOOOOooOoOO

Merlin walked away as possible from the bar. He had run away like a coward and that he knew, but didn't know exactly what else to do.

He leaned against a wall, wanting only eliminate any possible negative thought from his mind.

 _"What are those ..." Morgana was almost frightened at the sight of those syringes._

 _"It's not like you think, Morgana, that stuff isn't mine!" He said, trying to calm her down._

 _"No!" She snapped angrily, taking off his hands off herself. "You're a liar! My father was right, You ... you ... I hate you! Go away!"_

Merlin let his gaze toward the road, while fast vehicles sped who knows where, who knows why. Life was so: constantly moving, seemed never to stop. There wasn't a single moment of the day or night when everything would stop. Simply, the world is unable to remain still, the human mind rather; Merlin had understood at his own expense, yeah.

 _The past is the past_ , he kept repeating, almost making support alone.

Morgana would return from Paris with Mordred. She would work with him, but that didn't mean anything. She was gone, leaving him alone and heartbroken. Morgana had been silent for two damn years, then suddenly comes out a call from him and Arthur announces her return to London, in good company.

Merlin clenched his fists so hard, to embarrass his knuckles.

He needed to get distracted, thinking about not helping to nothing and the silence was the best conductor of memories; so he decided to really to visit the good old Gaius.

OooOOOoOOOOOo

"How long have you know Merlin?"

Sometimes, in exceptional cases, the bar boasted of the complete absence of customers and those were really boring moments for those who stood behind a counter, so Freya had decided to strike up a conversation.

"Much more than you." He pointed out, and then bite into boredom was a discarded sandwich. "Basically, it's as if I knew all along."

The girl caught the nostalgic vein in his voice, so she consoled him: "He cares a lot about you." Freya smiled sincere, looking for the blonde's eyes. "Even if he would never admit it, you're the most important person in his life."

The blue eyes of the young man shone instinctively, crossed by an unexpected happiness but tried to suppress it: Arthur Pendragon, didn't want anything to do with feelings. "I'm the most important person in everyone's life." He said boldly, pretending that he had not welcomed the news.

"Stop pretending you don't care." The Freya's voice took on an almost maternal way, what we all look for when you feel desperately lonely and want to be comforted. "I see you Arthur, and I know that you suffer when you think Merlin doesn't give you importance."

Arthur held her gaze and for a certain point, the brunette thought he was going to fall, but then popped up a dissenting grimace on his face. "I never suffer, _Frida_!"

Freya let a hint of smile draw in her face, seeing the blond turn back and move towards the customer who miraculously had entered the room. Arthur had called her that way from the first time Merlin had introduced them, and if at first thought was a simple failings, over time she realized that it was really just a way for the blond, to remind her that she wasn't welcome .

Freya had also endured the continual indirect attack by Arthur, so in the end, Merlin was _her_.

"Oh ... perfect." Arthur adversely rebuked , wading toward the entrance.

The brunette frowned do intrigued. "What?"

The young man moved from his seat, slightly tightening the jaw. "My beloved sister."

oOOOOoooooO

"So ... Morgana is back in London."

Merlin, as he tried to hide his feelings, with Gaius failed miserably and then was forced to tell him everything. He was an elderly man who loved solitude - like most of the elderly - but the presence of Merlin cheered him much.

That man, was for the young Emrys, the closest person to a parent who had ever had. Gaius had taken care of him after that, following the nth argument with his uncle, had run away from home. Gaius offered him a job, and in time even a roof. With advancing years he had bruised like all octogenarians, and had a constant need of help. Freya had kindly offered to keep him company several times of the day and the elderly seemed to enjoy his presence. "Her company to me is far more proud of the blond 'Mr. King of the World'. "He said once, causing an immediate laugh at the boy.

Merlin knew that Arthur, as he did in good faith, continued to maintain a frank and an inadequate superiority to all the people with whom he interacted.

However, Gaius was aware of everything that concerned him and as a result, knew about Morgana. Maybe that was the only secret that he didn't agree with Arthur, but Merlin had been hiding for a good reason.

The elder support instead, proved pivotal.

"Two years of silence, and she has the courage to reappear as if nothing had happened." He complained, keeping his eyes down and eclipsed.

"Morgana ... has always been a particular girl." Ascertained the nearly eighty years, taking his daily notion of drugs. "You shouldn't be surprised by her behavior."

Merlin wrinkled his angry face. "This isn't about character, Gaius. This is about the heart! "

The hoary seemed to look with watchful eye, peering at him for good. "Merlin, I think you should rejoice in what you have rather than get nervous with long-standing problems. After all, life is going on, are you son?" The elderly provoked .

"Sure." Was the mumbled response of Merlin. "The past is just the past."

Gaius looked at him, pinning his irises in blue boy's ones. Gaius knew when he was lying, and knew also recognize the true feelings of Merlin, without express them concretely.

Gaius sighed, and put his hands down his thighs. "Good." Estimated, massaging the dark pants. "I would say that the matter is settled, then."

Merlin nodded barely a smile, his eyes finding the time marked by the old grandfather clock of his old tutor. He stared noticing the late hour, thinking about the myriad ways in which Arthur would come up to kill him the next day.

"It's late, I'd better go." The boy took his leave, taking his leather jacket in his hands, and then reserve a fond farewell to the elderly.

"Go, before Mr. King of the world will kill you." Chuckled, coughing a little, leaving him generously, slight slap on the back.

"Oh, that's inevitable." Came the amused response of the young, and then leave permanently from the home of the old, to start at the bar.

He was walking down the gravel driveway of the small house where he lived Gaius, when his cell phone vibrated. Merlin took it in his hands, checking the display.

 **1 message from Arthur**

 _Back at home, idiot. We will deal tomorrow._

Merlin swallowed, venturing to type a reply message.

 _I will bring a working calculator._

After less than two minutes, the cellullare vibrated again.

 **1 message from Arthur**

 _Shut up, idiot. And prepared for tomorrow._

Merlin decided that for the moment it was better to finish it there, so overshadowed the display, taking the phone in the pocket of his jacket.

After all had gone well, the meeting with Morgana was still managed, miraculously, to skip it. He couldn't avoid that woman forever, but more time was, the better he felt, so he returned to his home, happy to be able to enjoy an evening in peace, alongside his Freya.

oOOOooOOOo

"I'm home." Start to say, before open the door lock. Not hearing response continued to warn his partner of his presence: "I'm sorry about before Gaius had need- ..."

The words died in his throat when he closed the door behind him, had lodged a gaze towards the entrance where, sitting on a chair, someone familiar to him was patient, waiting.

She had longer hair than when he had last seen her, smoother than they were two years ago.

Her face was white just like a time and her lips doesn't have lost their blush.

Neither said a word.

They stared long into the eyes, while the words refused to come out of their lips. Merlin had the instinct to stifle it by thought alone, but he didn't. He saw her with her lips slightly parted, while the observed sitting in that chair.

"How did you get in?" He asked simply, fighting the sudden urge to do something rash.

"You had not changed the lock and then ..."

"How do you stop?" He interrupted cold, trying to control his anger.

The other got up, going towards him, almost one step away from his face "I'm back to stay."

Reviewed if you liked. Reviewed if you've found errors.  
Reviewed if you want to make me happy.


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